SINS OF THE MOTHER II
by Swordwriter
Summary: 22 years after a shipboard romance Castle finds out that he has a son that he never knew about. will this knowledge derail the romance between Rick and Kate's son and the adopted sister of the previously unknown son or will Jim Rogers and Fallon Reynolds persevere. Set in the Wings of Fury universe.
1. Chapter 1

**SINS OF THE MOTHER II**

 **DISCLAIMER: Castle and the main characters are the property of Andrew Marlowe and ABC. I'm just borrowing them for a while.**

 _ **Author's note: An AU story set in my Wings of Fury universe. I started this story about six months ago and then killed it because of the disapproval of my Beta, who thought that it was bordering on incestuous. Several readers have asked me to resurrect this story and three other authors whom I greatly respect have convinced that while edgy the story is in no way incestuous and urged me to carry on with it. Thank you ladies and gentleman. (At least I think flyboys are gentlemen.) I deleted this story from fanfiction so this will probably come up as chapter one of a new story. It is actually chapter three. One and two can be found on line by typing in Swordwriter.**_

 _ **Swordwriter.**_

 **CHAPTER THREE**

Fallon called Jim that evening. "Hey Jim, mom and dad want to meet you and asked me to invite you to our house on Christmas Day for dinner. I really want you to accept." Jim laughed.

"I'd be happy to. My family celebrates on Christmas Eve. So we'd like you to join us for our dinner and celebration. Tit for tat." Fallon blushed at the thought that entered her mind. _You can play with my teats if I can play with your tat._ Thankfully she didn't voice it, she knew that it was too soon for that. "I'd love to come, she said what time shall I be there?"

"We eat about seven so I'll send the car service for you again about six-thirty. Once again I won't be able to break loose to pick you up personally. You know how families can be, but I'm warning you, there will be a couple of munchkins present, my sister's kids and a bunch of cousins who aren't munchkins so it might be a hassle for you."

"Oh no Jim, you invited me and you're not getting out of it." She heard his laugh.

"Not trying to, just warning you. My cousins are a nosy bunch and they love to tease."

"That's okay Jim I'm tougher than I look. What should I wear?

"About what you wore last time, a little dressy but not too much. My mother was very taken with you. She wasn't always impressed with girls I dated. She used to be a cop."

"Your mother was a cop? I would have thought she was a model."

"She was that too for a little while." They talked for a little while longer then quit because they both had a lot to do. Fallon went to find Janet. Her brother's girlfriend spent more time here than she did at home. Fallon was fairly sure that Janet would be Alex's fiancée before too long.

Janet was sitting in the kitchen peeling apples for the pies Cecelia was going to bake tomorrow. Fallon said; "Mom, do you mind if I steal Janet for a few minutes?"

"Go ahead Fallon we've got enough for now." They went up to Fallon's room.

"Janet, I'm invited to Jim's house for Christmas Eve. I really like this guy, he's special. I want to get him a nice Christmas present but I don't have any idea what to get. I don't want to get something blasé like a tie."

"I have an idea, Janet said. You said he's a pilot. I saw the cutest thing the other day at Dan's jewelers. It was a series of things. Cars, airplanes, boats with little clocks in them. I bet he'd love one. Come on, let's go." They ran down the stairs. Fallon called out to her mother;

"Janet and I are going shopping we won't be gone too long." They got to the jeweler's and Fallon found what she wanted in less than five minutes. It was an F-35 and when you lifted up the wings a clock was revealed. At one hundred fifty dollars it was an expensive first gift but Fallon was so sure of what she felt that the cost didn't faze her. The two days till Christmas Eve passed in a blur for Fallon. She spent three hours getting ready for her date. She wore her hair in a French roll, a deep crimson, knee-length with matching heels. Cecelia lent her a diamond pendent and matching earrings.

Janet and Alex both stepped outside with Fallon and watched as the service car pulled up. They were expecting some big flashy limo. It was anything but. A top of the line Mercedes but still just a normal sedan. The driver got out and opened the rear door for Fallon. They could tell that he was more than just a driver. Dressed in a black suit, white shirt and tie the man was tall and muscular with more than a hint of the military about him.

The man was obviously alert, scanning for any possible threat but the smile he gave Fallon was gentle. "Ms. Reynolds, Mr. Rodgers regrets not being able to come for you in person. My name is Michael. If you require anything, just ask." Fallon thanked Michael and entered the Mercedes.

Trevor and Cecelia Reynolds were watching through the living room window. Trevor said;

"Whatever else he may be Mr. Rogers is a very careful man. How many men care about their son's dates?" Somehow the Mr. Rogers triggers something deep in her psyche that she can't quite identify but it sends a shiver through her. It's small and tenuous so she shrugs it off. She would come to wish that she hadn't.

Fallon got out of the Mercedes as Michael opened the door for her. Once again there are two large, burly men flanking the doorman. "I'm Fallon Reynolds, I'm expected." The doorman checked his tablet. "Yes Ms. Reynolds please go right up and Merry Christmas."

Jim is waiting for her by the door and as she steps through it she is greeted by a loud; "Kiss the girl." She looks up and blushes as she sees the mistletoe. As it has been said before Fallon was bold so she took the initiative and kissed Jim, lingering long enough to generate several cat-calls and whistles, one of the loudest coming from, surprisingly, Jim's mother."

Kate has always been, for the most part, a good judge of people. She instinctively likes Fallon and thinks that if they can make it, this girl will be very good for her son. She'd met most of Jim's "cousins" at the previous party but they hadn't paid much attention to her, Jim had brought a number of girls to the loft over the years but none more than once. This one was here a second time. Time for the cousin protection team to go to work, it was mostly good fun but there was a serious undertone to it. These young men and women were closer than most blood cousins were and none of them would willingly let another get hurt.

The questions weren't really intrusive and the teasing gentle but nonetheless the message came across loud and clear. Kate finally put an end to it. Fallon looked around the loft. The Christmas decorations were extensive but not garish or cheap.

"These decorations are so beautiful and tasteful Mrs. Rogers." Kate beamed.

"Thank you Fallon but it was all my husband's and my daughter's doing. Fallon noticed that everyone was dressed in variations of the Christmas colors, red, green, silver or blue. Kate wore a dress that was very much like Fallon's but in emerald green silk. Jim wore dark green slacks and sweater with a lighter green shirt. Jim's father wore a combination that should have looked garish but somehow didn't. Navy blue slacks, a crimson blazer with a dark red shirt and tie.

When they sat down to dinner, Fallon was shocked. It was a veritable feast. There were three or four kinds of salads, ham, and turkey and roast beef. Tamales, rice, yams and mashed potatoes. Asparagus, carrots and peas. Kate seated Fallon next to her with Jim on Fallon's other side.

Kate laughed. "It's a little overwhelming the first time you see it but with more than twenty people at the table it all gets eaten between today and tomorrow. We try to get together like this for Sunday dinner every week though it's not this extensive. Sometimes it's just pizza or hamburgers and fries and it rotates between homes."

Alexis spoke up. "This may seem strange to you but dad owns the building we all have our apartments here .We each own our apartments but we all got below market prices for one of the nicest addresses in the city, so it simply made sense. Besides where else could we live in the city and be able to make the rules for the building? Lanie joined in.

"On top of that, when the kids were younger if one of the couples wanted to go out, we had free babysitting." Jim Beckett looked around the room and smiled.

"We're a family. Not in the traditional sense of the word but in the truest sense."

After supper, the family gathered in the living room and Jim Beckett read the story of the nativity. Then they sang carols. Rick asked Fallon what her favorite carol was. Fallon replied; "Joy to the world."

Alexis groaned. "Oh God, Fallon I wish you hadn't said that." Fallon looked perplexed.

"Why not?" She didn't catch the look that flashed from Rick to Javi and Kevin. Javi said;

"One, two, three. Jeremiah was a bullfrog, was a good friend of mine, I never understood a thing he said but I helped him drink his wine. Singing joy to the world…." Jeff Talbot joined in.

Kate said, "I'm so sorry Fallon. I don't think those four will ever grow up. They pull that one as often as they can. I should have thought to warn you." Opening presents was next. Fallon gave Jim his present and was both surprised and excited to get one. Hers was the first present Jim opened. His eyes lit up. "Wow Fallon, this is so cool. Thank you." She opened hers and pulled out a box marked Tiffany's. It was a gold charm bracelet with two bells hanging from it. Between the bells was a tiny fouled anchor with the letters USNA across the shank.

Fallon stared at it in shock. Kate stepped up. "Here Fallon, let put that on you." A bracelet from Tiffany's, she couldn't believe it. "I can't, uh, this is too much I mean…"

Kate reassured her. "It's okay Fallon. Rick did the same kind of thing the first Christmas I knew him. And we were just friends at that point. It's in their nature."

Fallon was happy that Jim drove her home in his Jaguar. He walked her to her door and kissed her goodnight. "I'll see you tomorrow." He said.

Fallon walked through her door at precisely midnight. Trevor was sitting at the kitchen table sipping a cup of coffee. "Did you have a good time Fal? "

Fallon's smile could have lit up the room. "Yes Dad, I had a wonderful time. I can't wait for you to meet Jim. You can't believe his family. They are so warm and nice. His mom is beautiful, like a model his dad is handsome too. I laughed so much. Just wait till you meet them." Fallon had no way of knowing how terribly those words would come back to haunt her.

Janet came over early on Christmas Day to help prepare the dinner. Fallon called her to her room. "Look what Jim gave me for Christmas." Janet goggled. "Tiffany's oh wow."

Fallon came down to help her mother and Janet in the kitchen for a while before getting ready. The crimson dress was such a hit with Jim, she decided to wear it again. Precisely at two o'clock Fallon heard the low rumble of a powerful engine. Looking out the window she saw Jim pull up in his Jaguar. Trevor Reynolds opened the door. He liked what he saw. A tall, well dressed and groomed young man. He held a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine.

Jim handed the wine to Trevor. "I am Jim Rogers Mr. Reynolds. My father said that a good guest should always bring a gift." Trevor looked at the very expensive bottle of wine and smiled.

"Please come in Mr. Rogers. I am sure that my wife and I shall enjoy this wine immensely. Jim had just handed Fallon her bouquet when Cecelia, Janet and Alex came in, Cecelia was carrying a tray of appetizers. Fallon said; "Mom this is Jim Reynolds,"

Jim was wearing a dark suit, white shirt and tie. Almost a visual twin of the ensemble his father had worn on board ship 22 years before.

Cecelia's smile dropped off her face and she went deathly pale as saw Jim. But in her mind she didn't see Jim. The years dropped away. Standing before her was Richard Rogers, looking just as he had on the cruise ship's deck, so long ago. The tray of appetizers crashed to the floor as she cried out; "Rick, oh my God, Rick." She feinted.

Alex caught her before she fell and carried her to the couch. Trevor quickly went to his wife's side. He looked hard at Jim. "What's going on here young man, who's Rick?" Jim was at a loss.

"I have no idea what's going on sir. The only Rick I know is my father. As far as I know, my father and your wife have never met." The feint was only momentary and Cecelia was already coming around. With Alex's help Cecelia was sitting up. The shocked, haunted look was still on her face as she said; "What is your father's name?"

"Richard Rogers or formally, Richard Alexander Rogers, Brigadier General, USMC. Retired."

There was total misery in her eyes as she said; "Your Mother is Katherine Beckett isn't she?"

"Yes she is. Katherine Rodgers now."

Cecelia knew that her tower of lies was about to come crashing down around her ears and it might very well shatter her family. She didn't know what effect it might have on the Rogers family.

"I only have the strength to do this once so James would you please call your father and mother and ask them to come over? It's urgent." In that moment, Trevor Reynolds knew the truth before anything else was said and surprised that none of the others had seen it. Although Alex Reynolds was of slimmer build than Jim with darker hair and complexion and slightly finer features. The two young men were the same height with the same color eyes, the same shaped mouth and strong chin. If you were seeing clearly, it was obvious that they were related.

Jim placed the call. Rick answered; "What's going on Jim aren't you supposed to be having Christmas dinner?"

"Yes dad but something very strange is going on here and Fallon's mom asked that you and mom come over here right away. She says that it's urgent. I believe her."

"Okay son, your mother and I will be there in fifteen."

The trepidation was building in Cecelia. She was feeling nauseous and trembling, wondering if she really have the strength to go through with this and regretting ever telling lies to all her family although the reasoning felt right at the time. She felt that her heart was going to burst as the doorbell rang.

Trevor answered the door and was taken aback as one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen walked through the door. Oh yes, he knew who she was. He'd seen her often enough on the news. Chief of Detectives Katherine Beckett NYPD. He knew the man too. You don't forget the face of a man who was both a famous author and a Medal of Honor recipient. Even in his sixties the man still had a commanding presence.

Cecelia looked up as they walked in and the breath caught in her throat. Except for the gray in his hair and a few more lines around his mouth Rick didn't look much different than he had all those years ago. Dressed in jeans and a fitted long sleeve polo shirt it was obvious that he was still fit and even more powerfully built than she remembered.

Rick and Kate's hand were tightly clasped, giving and drawing strength from each other in an unknown situation. Rick's eyes widened in shock. "Cecelia?"

Despite the fear, Cecelia's voice was controlled. "Hello Rick and you must be Katherine. Please sit down I have some things to tell you that will be very hard to take." When everyone had seated themselves Cecelia said; "First of all let me address you, Mrs. Rogers. This situation is entirely my fault. Your husband had absolutely no knowledge of it, nor did any member of my family.

I know that Rick told you about our shipboard romance. He told me so when I encountered him in a mall. He told me that he was with you and that wasn't going to change. There was a consequence of the romance that he didn't know about and neither did I at the time." 

She licked her lips and looked around the room. "Rick told me, at the time that he had been recalled into the Marine Corps. I found out a few days later that I was pregnant. I didn't want to guilt Rick into leaving you and being with me because of a baby. I only wanted him to be with me if he loved me. I also didn't want to risk ruining your marriage so I never told Rick about the baby."

She looked at Alex. "My biggest regret is lying to you Alex, about your father. He was indeed a Marine Pilot. But never missing. In fact all too prominent. My second regret is denying you the knowledge of your son, Rick. It was so unfair to both of you. It was unfair to both of you, Alex and Jim to deny you the closeness of brothers. All I can do now is tell you how sorry I am and beg the forgiveness of all of you. And tell you, Trevor, Alex and Fallon how much I love you."

Alex and Fallon were clearly in shock, unmoving. Cecelia could see the towering rage building up in Rick. He rose to his feet, his face like a thundercloud. Kate sprang to her feet and placed a calming hand on his cheek. He glanced down at her and squeezed her hand. When he looked back at Cecelia his temper was under control but the look in his eyes was glacial. His voice was almost monotone as he gritted out. "Cecelia, I don't know if I can ever forgive you for this but I need to leave before I say or do something really stupid. We are leaving, now."

Fallon was in despair as she looked at Jim and saw the same coldness in his eyes, He spun on his heel and followed his parents out of the room without saying a word. Fallon burst into tears and ran from the room, seeing all her dreams go up in smoke.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Alex Reynolds stood in the middle of the room, eyes unfocused, shaking, the shock of his mother's words too much for him to handle .He didn't even notice Fallon fleeing the room or anything else around him. Janet came to him and put her arms around him, pulling his head to her breast. Tears were streaming down her face at the pain her boyfriend must feel when the shock wore off. Cecelia felt hollowed out. She may have flushed twenty years of her life down the toilet of her lies as well as any future she might have had. Just how bad the damage may be has her shaking in fear. She has lied to the three most important people in her life. No small lie either. A huge trust destroying, maybe a family destroying lie.

She has also incurred the wrath of a very influential man. Is he the kind to retaliate? She doesn't know. Knowing a man for a few days cannot reveal all the aspects of his character. She's seen his gentle, caring, yes his sexy aspects. She's seen his keen intelligence and deep humor. And although it was under rigid control she'd just seen his equally deep anger. It was just a flash but for a moment she'd seen what his face must have looked like peering through his gun sights.

That he hadn't erupted right there in her living room was something to be grateful for but it didn't reassure her all that much. She raised her head and looked at Alex. She spoke.

"Alex, look at me please, I'm so sorry I never meant to hurt you I just wanted to…."

There was a haunted look on Alex' face but only for a moment then it contorted in both fury and pain. "You never what Mother, never meant to tell me the truth. Did you think my father would take me away from you? Just wanted to keep me from being hurt? Well you failed. My whole life has been based on lies. I had this image in my head of a hero father that I never knew, only the story you told me and the reality is that not only is my father alive but a bigger hero than my imagination ever conjured up. And the woman I've looked up to all my life is a liar. I can't be here, I have to leave because right now I hate you!"

He turned to Trevor, "I'm sorry Dad, and I know none of this is your fault but I still have to leave. I'll talk to you. I love you Dad." He grabbed his coat and Janet's from the closet and stormed out, Janet following, never letting go of his hand. Trevor Reynolds sat down by his wife.

"I don't know what to say to you Cecelia. You've lied to me from the day we met. How could you do that? The truth wouldn't have made any difference to me. But this? I don't know if I can get past it. I'm going to see if Fallon wants to go with me then I'm going out for dinner. I will be sleeping in the guest room for the next few days until I decide what to do."

Cecelia was openly crying now, great heaving sobs that racked her whole body. Trevor stood.

Cecelia reached for him. "Trevor, please don't leave now I need you." He pushed her hand away. "Cecelia, don't. Don't say anything right now. I'm not inclined to believe anything you say."

Trevor slowly climbed the stairs to Fallon's Room. "Fallon, honey can I come in?"

"No Daddy, I don't want to see anybody right now. Please just leave me alone for a while. And tell my mother not to come up. My door is locked."

"All right honey I'm going to get something to eat. I'll talk to you later." Fallon Reynolds lay on her bed, not caring that her beautiful dress was crumpled. The broken-hearted girl was sobbing uncontrollably. She'd always thought that some boy would break her heart. She never imagined that her mother would be the one to do it. She'd seen the cold look in Jim's eyes, one that matched his father's. Father and son looked so much alike that it was scary. She'd seen, first-hand how tight knit the Rogers family was and she knew what hurt the father, hurt the son.

She wanted to call Jim up and plead; "It's not my fault." But she didn't think it would do any good at this point. Jim would be back at Annapolis in a few days and she would have no chance to try and repair the damage before he left. Love at first sight was not a romantic fantasy for Fallon. It was painfully real. So was her grief.

Kate Rogers drove her husband home. She wasn't about to let him get behind the wheel as angry as he was. Jim was following in his Jaguar. When they reached the loft and were safely inside, Kate said; "Babe we have to talk about this. Not just you and I but the whole family. You have to release the anger. Why don't you and Jim go down to the gym and beat up the heavy bag for an hour or so. Meanwhile I'll call Martha, Dad, Alexis and Jeff to come up. Well hell, we might as well make it everybody in this whole crazy clan." She knew that Javi and Kevin loved Rick like brothers and anything that affected him would affect them too. What worried Kate more than anything was how Johanna and Kiera were going to take finding out that they had a sibling they never knew about.

Heeding Kate's suggestion Rick and Jim went down to the building's gym. Rick working on both the heavy and speed bags. Jim concentrated on the heavy bag. After they finished they spent about fifteen minutes sparring. Kate was right. The workout calmed both of them down.

By the time Rick and Jim had showered and dressed the family had gathered. It might seem strange to most people to share something so intimate with anyone but immediate family but to the Rogers, Talbots, Espositos and Ryans they were all immediate family. The only ones not in on it were Alexis and Jeff's children. They were still too young.

Rick stood up. "There is no easy way to say this so straight out is the best. You all know that I was no saint in my younger years and that Kate and I went through a very rough patch shortly before we were married.* Mother, Alexis and Kate know this part, the rest of you don't. Mother, Alexis and I went on a cruise to England. While on board the ship I had a brief affair with a woman named Cecelia Clark. I told her flat out that it was a shipboard romance only. She accepted that. We only had sex twice. I was careless and assumed she was on the pill.

I saw her once, in a mall about two months after the cruise, at which time I told her that I was with Kate and that wasn't going to change. She accepted it and we parted amicably. You've all met the girl that Jim has dated a couple of times, Fallon Reynolds. Earlier today Jim was invited to her house for Christmas dinner. Jim called Kate and I to go over there, urgently."

Rick paused and took a healthy slug of single malt Scots whiskey. "When we got there, we received some shocking news. Fallon is Cecelia's adopted daughter. Much worse than that is that Cecelia has a nineteen year old son. MY son and that damn woman never told me! Worse, she never told him the truth either. I've had a son for nineteen years that I never knew about. I should have had some time with him. All of us should have had time. Damn that woman to hell!"

There were shocked exclamations all over the room. Kate immediately came and leaned against Rick's side. Every person in that room knew how much Rick loved his family and how much this new revelation must hurt. Rick's three daughters and Martha were first to come to him, hugging and reassuring him. The entire family had sympathetic looks on their faces but Javi, Kevin and Lanie followed that with looks of anger. Lanie burst out. "I'm gonna find that bitch and smack the hell out of her. Nobody messes with my family!"

Javi's voice was low and angry. "Yeah, what Lanie said." Kevin's voice was a voice of reason, he asked; "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know, yet. A lot of it depends on Alex. I do know that I don't have the time to deal with it right now. Kate, the girls and I are supposed to leave for London the day after tomorrow. We're to spend the New Year with The Duke and Duchess in our Sir Richard and Lady Katherine personas. Then I need to talk to my estate manager and give a series of lectures at the defense ministry and Kate has a lecture at Scotland Yard so we won't be back till the fifteenth.

Whatever the situation is or will be I will not let it disrupt our plans or cause problems with the family I already have."

"Well, whatever you decide to do, we have your back, Bro." Javi said.

Kate spoke. "Let's table this discussion for the time being. It's getting close to dinner time. Alexis, Jenny and Lanie please help me prepare it. Johanna, Kiera, Sarah Grace please set the table. The women went to work like the practiced team they were while the men went into the den for a pre-dinner drink.

After dinner Kate asked Jim to come into the study. She said; "What are you going to do about Fallon?" Jim looked uncomfortable and shifted his eyes away.

"What do you mean do about her Mom?"

"Don't play dumb Jim. I never let your father get away with it and I'm not about to let you."

"What is there to do? You were there today, you saw and heard what her mother said and did."

Kate shook her head. "She is not her mother. Maybe you didn't notice her face but I did. She was horrified. She didn't know any more than the rest of us. Jim. That girl likes you a lot, maybe too much for such a short acquaintance and she's a sweet girl."

"But what's the point Mom? I'm going back to Annapolis in a few days. Even if I do feel something for Fallon it's not fair to curtail her social life." Kate was starting to get a little angry. Jim could be as stubborn as his father. "I'm not asking you to commit anything to her I'm just asking you to let her know that you're not angry with her. She certainly wouldn't be able to tell from the look on your face as you followed your father out. I want you to be the gentleman your father and I raised you to be."

"Okay Mom I'll call her first thing in the morning."

"No Jim, call her right now you have no idea how much she's suffering. I have a pretty good idea I remember how it felt when I thought your father hated me." Jim sighed. There was no use arguing with his mother when she got her steam up.

Fallon was still sobbing so hard that she almost didn't hear her phone ring. She recognized the _Anchors Aweigh_ ring tone but felt so miserable that she didn't want to answer but knew that it would be a total disaster if she didn't.

Her voice shaking she answered. "Hello Jim."

"Hi Fallon, I'm sorry about how I acted yesterday. I want you to know that I'm not angry with you. It wasn't your fault but what your mother did was so horribly wrong I couldn't stay. I, like my father might have done something stupid."

There was relief and even hope in her voice when she said; "Thank God, Jim I can't stand the thought of you being angry with me. Can I see you tonight?"

Jim sighed. He hated hurting this lovely girl but he didn't see any other choice. The situation was impossible as it was and a clean break was the most merciful thing. "I'm sorry Fallon, I don't think that's a good idea. As I said, I'm not angry with you but you know that this thing between our families makes a relationship impossible. On top of that I'm going back to Annapolis and you need your own social life her in New York. Good bye Fallon."

He grabbed his keys and headed out. Kate put her hand on his arm. He paused.

"Did you call her?" Kate asked.

"Yes Mom."

"What did she say?"

"Not much Mom, I didn't let her. All I told her is that I wasn't angry with her but that we can't see each other again. Let it go Mom, she's just a girl and I'm just a guy she'll get over it."

Fallon didn't sleep well Christmas night, waking up the next morning with red, puffy eyes. She recalled Jim's statement which set off another wave of tears. There was only one person she could think of to turn to. She called Janet. Alex had been with Janet all night and was in no better shape than Fallon. The three agreed to meet for lunch to try and figure out the impossible situation at home.

Cecelia Reynolds lay in her lonely bed. She was dry-eyed now, there were no more tears left to cry, she had cried all night. Alex was probably at Janet's but she wasn't sure of that. Fallon had locked her door and wouldn't respond. Trevor hadn't come in till three in the morning, going directly to the guest room. Cecelia was consumed with guilt. Her lies had probably destroyed her family. She knew that she couldn't stay in bed all day and the longer it went without her doing something about the situation the worse it was going to be. She looked at her watch and was shocked to see that it was 10:30.

She got up, showered applied her make-up and dressed. Entering the kitchen she instinctively knew that the house was empty. She wasn't hungry but knew that she had to eat something. She brewed a pot of coffee and toasted a bagel. She added cream cheese and ate the bagel, not really tasting it. Gathering what courage she had she first called Alex and as she expected it went to voice mail as did Fallon's. She then called Trevor. He at least answered. "I am busy right now Cecelia and what we have to say to each other should not be said over the phone. I will be home about six. We'll talk then." Her heart clenched. There was no warmth in his voice.

Cecelia had to make one more desperate call. She'd managed to track down the Rogers' home number. She made the call. Kate Answered.

"Rogers' residence, Kate Rogers speaking." Kate always answered formally when she didn't recognize the number of the caller.

"Mrs. Rogers this is Cecelia Reynolds I need to speak with Rick, urgently or better yet meet with him. I need to really explain things." Kate's mind boggled at the audacity of the woman.

"Mrs. Reynolds I don't think you have any possible explanation that would satisfy my husband or me. Or the rest of our family for that matter. Furthermore if you ever do meet, it will be with both of us. If you haven't figured it out by now, my husband has a temper. You do not want to be on the receiving end. I will speak with my husband about this and if he agrees I will let you know. But don't expect it to be any time soon. By the way you have no right to address my husband by his proper name. He is General Rogers to you. Don't try to contact us again. If there is any further contact I will initiate it."

Fallon, Alex and Janet met at _Bill's Burger's and Barbecue._ Fallon was surprised. Despite her emotional turmoil she was starving. She ordered a barbecue chicken sandwich with a side salad and a coke. Janet took charge. "Look, this discussion will probably be pretty tough so why don't we eat and then stop at Starbuck's pick up coffee and go to my apartment and talk. They finished their food in relative silence then did as Janet suggested.

Alex started off. "I'm so confused. I don't know what I'm going to do. I won't go back to the house, I can't. It's so damn hard to accept what my mother did. I'm so mad at her I don't even want to admit being related to her. I'm not mad at dad. I don't know whether to be mad at my biological father or not." Despite her own pain Fallon reached out to her brother.

"There's no reason to be mad at General Rogers. I've seen him in his home. He loves his very extended family. I know that he never knew about you. If he had, he'd have spent as much time with you as he could. You have every right though to be furious at Mom. Ugh, I don't even want to call her mom. She's hurt so many people with her lies." Suddenly she began crying again.

"Damn her. Because of her I've lost any chance I ever had with Jim." Janet put a reassuring hand on her arm. "Not necessarily. A boy who gives a girl a Tiffany bracelet isn't just casually interested. Give it some time. Just maybe there's a way back. If his family is as loving as you say it is that has to have rubbed off on him." Janet then took Alex' hand. "You need to give it some time too. You're staying with me for the time being. I'll go by your house and pick up some of your things. You know, also after a little time, maybe you can reach out to General Rogers. Who knows, he might even come to you."

The next few days passed in a whirlwind for the Rogers family. Rick, Kate, Johanna and Kiera were off to London. Jim stayed to celebrate the New Year with the rest of the family and reported back to Annapolis on January second.

*for the full background on this story see chapter 5 of my story _Wings of Fury_ and chapter 2 of _Tales From the Citadel_ as well as the first two chapters of this story under the separate title _Sins of the Mother._ On line under Swordwriter.

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 _ **Swordwriter.**_


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER FIVE**

Once again it had taken special permission from both governments after a lot of wrangling but after Rick had retired from the Marine Corps the British government had appointed him Air Commodore in the RAF reserve. Rick tried to focus on the lectures he was going to give, hoping to take his mind off the situation with Alex. It didn't work. He was brooding over it on the flight to England. Johanna and Kiera were wrapped up in their tablets, oblivious to their father's mood.

Kate was not. After so many years together they were so finely attuned to each other that it was almost like a shared a mind. She put her own tablet down and took Rick's hand, squeezing it gently. "Babe, stop brooding about Alex. None of this is your fault and even if it were there's nothing you can do about it now or for the next two weeks. Besides I think that it would be best to let him come to you. If he wants to, he will, when he's ready. This is more of a shock to him than it is to you. What Cecelia did is a betrayal of the worst kind. From his own mother. He's young and hasn't had the life experience to deal with this kind of shock.

If you go to him, he might just be overwhelmed. Give it a couple of months after we get back. If he hasn't got in touch with us by then I think that you should contact Trevor Reynolds and get his opinion." Then Kate changed tactics, employing one that never failed to distract her husband. She nipped his earlobe and breathed into his ear. "If you have to think so hard, think about how you're going to go about taking my new Victoria's Secret lingerie off me tonight."

Rick laughed and settled back in the wide two person seat. With no armrest between them Kate squirmed around until her upper body was resting on his chest. Kate giggled. "This almost reminds me of that private charter we took to Jamaica. When we joined the mile high club. Of course the girls weren't there to put a damper on things. She placed a delicate kiss on his jaw. I hope you're not too tired tonight."

Rick marveled at his wife. Even after all these years together, he still thought she was the sexiest woman alive and for him, the most beautiful woman in the world. She always knew what to say or do to comfort him. And while she might be the most beautiful woman in the world to him, she was still a striking beauty in her own right. Three children and the years had put a slight arch in her once flat abdomen and she was carrying a few more pounds than she used to but they were all in the right places. Her figure was still taught and those long toned legs the envy of women half her age.

About half an hour out, Rick washed and shaved then changed into his RAF uniform. The family passed through customs and were met by an RAF flight lieutenant with a staff car. The lieutenant saluted and said; "Good afternoon Air Commodore, welcome back. He smiled and good afternoon, Lady Katherine, Lady Johanna, Lady Kiera. The Duke and Duchess are anxiously awaiting you."

Rick returned the salute. "Thank you Flight Lieutenant Townsend isn't?" The man grinned.

"Yes Sir Richard, it is. I'm honored that you remembered me." The ladies returned his greeting with smiles, Johanna eyeing the handsome young man with appreciation and more than a little speculation, which quickly withered under her mother's glare. They all boarded the staff car for the drive to Kensington Palace, the Duke and Duchess' London residence. The duke and duchess were waiting for them along with Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The greetings were exuberant. The two families were close friends who didn't see each other as often as they liked.

The duchess didn't gush but came pretty close to it. "Cathy you look so stunning. The years have been kind to you. And to Rick too. He's still ruggedly handsome."

"Look who's talking Kate. Girls all over the world want to be you."

"It's not his looks I'm jealous of, Prince William said. It's his hair. He's still got more than his share. The four young people exchanged greeting with each other and the adults. Princess Charlotte said, rather plaintively; "Where's James?"

"He's home right now but is going back to Annapolis in a few days. He would have liked to come but his leave is up the second." Rick said.

"Oh, that's too bad, I so hoped to see him." Kate was rather amused that another very pretty girl had a crush on her son. Even if it was a very unrealistic crush. They chatted for a short time before supper was served.

The dinner was not elaborate, a fairly traditional English dinner centered on roast beef. Conversation was mostly light but the duchess, a very empathic woman could sense that all was not well with her friends. She hoped, fervently that whatever the trouble was that it wasn't between Rick and Kate. She knew their history and what obstacles they had overcome. Surprisingly, despite the ocean separating them and the far different social status, the Rodgers had become among their dearest friends. The two Kates e-mailed or skyped four or five times a week, sometimes daily if something stressful was going on.

After dinner, Rick and William went into the study for drinks and to talk about their favorite subjects, flying in general and military aircraft. The young people were discussing their favorite music, with Kiera showing some dance moves she'd come up with. The duchess pulled Kate into her private office.

"There's something wrong Kathy, I know there is. Please tell me, are you and Rick having trouble?" Kate shook her head.

"No, I mean yes but it's not between Rick and I or even our children. It's a family matter that's weighing heavily on Rick. The girls know about it but I don't think George and Charlotte need to. As soon as Rick and Bill have their drink I'll ask him if he'll tell you about it.

The women waited, talking, until they thought enough time had elapsed then went into the study. Kate opened the discussion. "Babe, Kate knows that we're under stress and she's worried. Do you think you can tell our friends about it?"

"I don't know if I can without getting angry all over again. Why don't you do it? I know that you're at least a little more objective than I am" Kate nodded.

"A little more objective maybe but I'm mad as hell too. Bill, will you please fix us all a drink? I think we're going to need it." The duke fixed strong drinks for all of them then joined the other three on the sofa.

"Rick and I worked together for four years and had fallen in love but I was fighting it. You know about my mother and Rick was investigating her case without telling me about it, to keep me safe after I was shot. We had a terrible fight. Well it wasn't really a fight, it was mostly me yelling at him. He wanted me to walk away from the case. Finally he told me he couldn't watch me get killed and walked away. In truth, I drove him away. That was in April. In June, he, Martha and Alexis went on a cruise to Southampton. Kate paused to take a sip of her drink.

While on the cruise he had a shipboard romance with a woman, Cecelia Clarke They had sex and that was all it was meant to be. Shortly after he came home he was recalled into the Marines and we got back together. He encountered the woman again in a shopping mall and he made it very plain that he was with me and not interested in anything further with her. Then we married."

Kate paused again and finished her drink, holding the glass up for a refill. That accomplished, she continued. "Last May Jim met a young woman the day before he left for Annapolis. He invited her to his going away party. She's beautiful, intelligent and sweet. Apparently she fell hard for Jim. He took her on a date when he got home for Christmas and invited her to our home for Christmas Eve. We were very impressed with her. In return, she invited Jim to her home for Christmas Day. Her name is Fallon Reynolds, she's adopted.

Except for being taller, Jim is Rick's doppelganger. Now the odds on what followed are probably a billion to one or so." She paused again then reached out and took Rick's hand, gently squeezing it. She continued. "Jim had just been introduced to Fallon's father when her mother, brother and her brother's girlfriend walked into the room.

Fallon's mother is Cecelia Clarke Reynolds. When she saw Jim she said; _Rick. Oh my God, Rick_ and fainted. She thought Jim was Rick. It was a flashback. She was only out for a minute or two and then asked Jim to call us and go to their house. When we got there, she dropped a bomb not only on us but her family too. Fallon is her adopted daughter but her son is her natural child. He's nineteen. His name is Alexander Reynolds. He's Rick's son."

At the shocked gasps and incredulous looks, Kate nodded.

The second she stated it I could see it. He's more slender and finer featured than Rick or Jim with dark hair and an olive complexion but the eyes, mouth and chin are Rick's. Cecelia admitted that she'd never told Rick about it. That's bad enough and what hurts us, but she lied to her own family. Telling them that Alex's father was a Marine pilot who gone missing in the Middle East.

You know what a temper Rick has. He didn't explode. Said we'd better leave before he said or did something really stupid. We left. Jim left with us. Poor Fallon was devastated and she in no way had any fault in this. Unfortunately, Jim wouldn't give her any reassurance except that he didn't blame her for anything. And I'm not happy about that. I've always thought that Jim was more sensitive. He's right to be mad at her mother but no right to be cold to her. I think she is someone I thought I'd never see. A victim of love at first sight. I don't know why I should be but I'm really worried about Fallon."

"Aren't you worried about Jim?" Kate Middleton asked.

"Of course I am but Jim is as tough as his father and nearly as resilient. Jim doesn't think I know but he broke several hearts in high school. Not deliberately of course but he did just the same. I am certain that he won't be as effected as Fallon. He'll also be too busy to worry about it. Annapolis is a tough school for first year men."

William spoke. "I'm sorry to hear about this Rick. That woman is despicable I can't imagine a woman being so stupidly cruel. Both to you and her own family. What are you going to do?

"I don't know yet. Kate thinks I should wait a couple of months and see if Alex comes to me. She's probably right. I wouldn't want to push it. But it's hard to put it aside. He is my son."

Kate Middleton huffed. "Probably right? You know that Kathy is right. The young man is not only hurt and angry he's frightened. He probably thinks that he's just and ordinary boy. You're a celebrity Rick, at risk of inflating your ego, something of a legend. What if you reject him? That's going to be on his mind."

"I would never reject him, he's my son."

"How does he know that? Jim rejected his sister, he doesn't know you or Kathy. Put it aside Rick. Besides, Wills and I are selfish we want you and Kathy to pay attention to us and not worry about anything." The last comment drew a chuckle out of Rick.

"Well if that's a royal command I guess I'll have to obey. You're right, we'll be here for the next two weeks I think I can handle that."

"That's something else I wanted to talk with you about, Prince William said. Do you have any pressing reasons to get back to New York?"

"Other than the girl's schooling no."

"Aren't they keeping up with classes on line while they're here?

"Yes they are."

"Then let me get to my point. My father had a stroke. Not a major one but a stroke. It has been kept out of the news so far but will be announced tomorrow He wants to abdicate. After all, he is 87 and I think he deserves to rest. I will be crowned on the first of February. I would deeply appreciate it if you would stay for my coronation. You will be staying here in Kensington palace. We also want Lady Alexis and her family to attend. Martha is invited if she feels well enough to travel."

Kate laughed. "Martha wouldn't miss it for the world. A chance to attend a coronation. She be here if we had to bring her in a hospital bed. Fortunately she's still spry. Of course we'll stay.

They retire for the night shortly after the conversation. Kate waits until Rick removes his jacket and tie then slips both arms around his neck and kisses him soundly. "That's just a sample Babe. I'm going into the bathroom to freshen up then you're going to give me your opinion of my new lingerie. Of course the lingerie only stayed on long enough for Rick to appreciate it. He didn't show his appreciation in words. The couple was thankful for the thick walls of the apartment.

A week later, in New York Alex Reynolds went to his dad's office. Trevor was a busy man but always made time for Alex. "Alex, it's good to see you, I've been worried you haven't called."

Alex hugged Trevor. "I know Dad and I'm sorry I didn't call but I've been trying to make sense of this all. I can't even begin to understand why Mom did this to us. I mean didn't I deserve to know the truth, didn't you? I mean, I wouldn't have been upset when I got old enough to be told the truth. From everything I've been told General Rodgers is a good man. He wouldn't have tried to take me away from Mom, or push you out. Would you have resented him seeing me?"

Trevor shook his head. "No I wouldn't I've read a lot about him. I admire the man. I think knowing him would have been very good for you."

"I'm conflicted Dad. I want to meet with him. I want to get to know him but while he's my father you're my dad. I will always love you and I don't want to hurt your feelings. Trevor shook his head. "You wouldn't. You have a whole family to get to know. I think you should get to know them. Look, I know some people who are friends with the Rodgers. I will get his home number and call for you."

"Thanks Dad. I'd appreciate it. You know I'm not mad at General Rodgers it was never his fault but I am mad at Jim Rodgers. Fallon has fallen for him hard and he won't give her a chance."

"Don't be mad at him till you give him a chance to explain himself. Remember, this whole thing is a shock to him to. He has a right to be upset. He may not intend to hurt Fallon. In fact it might be a better thing. He's at Annapolis, she's here. As a rule, long distance relationships don't work out. Remember all the crushes she's had, Danny Ralston in particular? Last year she swore that he was the love of her life. How long did that last? Don't worry, Fallon will get over him in a few weeks." Trevor Reynolds didn't have a clue as to how wrong he was or how determined his daughter was.

That evening Trevor called the loft. "Rodgers residence, Martha Rodgers speaking."

"Mrs. Rodgers, this is Trevor Reynolds, Alex Reynolds' step-father. I would like to speak with General Rodgers if it's convenient. It's about Alex."

"I'm sorry Mr. Reynolds, General and Mrs. Rodgers are out of the country for the time being. I will relay your message to General Rodgers. Goodbye Mr. Reynolds.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER SIX**

When Rick called Martha to tell her about the extended trip and to relay the Prince's (William was now officially the Prince of Wales) invitation to attend the coronation Martha was beside herself with excitement. To witness a coronation by invitation of the soon to be king was the event of a lifetime. She wasted no time calling Alexis, who was almost as excited as Martha. It would be an experience her children would never forget, something none of their peers would ever be able to match. The week that followed the invitation was a whirlwind for Martha, Alexis and Alexis' family. When Trevor called, the press of getting ready for the trip caused Martha to put Trevor's call on the back burner. She blithely went about her last minute errands. It was about six hours later Martha remembered about the call and made a hurried call to Rick asking him what he wanted to do. Rick told her to relay his message. He would get in touch with Trevor as soon as he was back home but any discussion would be face to face, not over the phone. Something of this magnitude could not be left to remote conversation.

Martha called Trevor and relayed Rick's response. He was disappointed but realized that there was nothing he could do. He'd hoped to have something to tell Alex, one way or the other. He loved Alex just as much as if he were his biological son and hated seeing the pain Alex was going through, the pain Cecelia had caused. Pain that devastated all their lives. Alex the most, of course but Fallon too. He was in pain as well but the needs of his children far outweighed his own. Intellectually he knew that Cecelia was suffering but he couldn't find it in him to comfort her. The hell she was in was of her own making. Anger and betrayal were clouding his mind. He supposed that deep down he still loved her, they had almost twenty good years together but was that love enough? Could he draw upon that love and find a way to forgive her? He didn't know. Reconciliation or divorce? Both options were in play at the moment.

Cecelia Reynolds sat in her bedroom weeping. All the lights were out, the house silent. Trevor had moved out two days ago, saying that he needed space to decide what he was going to do. He was renting a furnished apartment on a month to month basis. She'd heard nothing at all from Alex since Christmas day and Fallon wouldn't talk to her except for the most basic exchanges, leaving right after breakfast and not returning until nearly bedtime. Her colleagues were avoiding her because she was either distracted or snappy at work. She couldn't be fired, she was a senior partner in the law firm. Her life was in a shambles, her marriage very possibly destroyed, her children alienated and she may well have made an enemy of a very influential man.

She'd seen her doctor to get a prescription for a sleeping pill, the only way she could sleep. Besides the anxiety and yes, outright fear the king size bed was cold and lonely without Trevor beside her. She took two of the pills and managed to go to sleep. The pills let her sleep but didn't stop the dreams. She awoke in the morning, very little refreshed from her drugged sleep. After showering and applying her make-up using a heavy application of concealer, she dressed and prepared a meager breakfast of a toasted bagel and coffee. She just finished her coffee when Fallon entered the kitchen and without any form of greeting, said;

"I will be moving into the dorm at NYU. I'm legally an adult so you have no say in it. I wish that this all hadn't happened and I wish that I could get past it but I just can't. That you could be so selfish completely astounds me. That you willingly lied to your family about something so vital is beyond my comprehension. And the pain you've caused, my God I don't know how to deal with that. You may have destroyed our family. I don't know if I can ever forgive you, I know that I won't be able to any time soon. I can't even call you mom anymore because no truly loving mother could do what you did. Goodbye Cecelia." It was no tirade. Fallon delivered her message in a level tone, not even raising her voice although it was tearing her apart inside. As soon as she was in her car, the tears started falling. She'd cried more in the last week than she had in her entire life up to now. Achieving some control, she drove to Janet's house. Janet and Janet's mother had been her steady sources of comfort.

Fallon's departure left Cecelia almost catatonic with shock. She sat at the table, staring at the door, not really seeing anything. She was still sitting there, three hours later, when her friend, Connie walked in. Cecelia hadn't called work, answered her phone or replied to a dozen text messages. Connie was appalled at Cecelia's appearance. Although neatly dressed, for a business day she looked like she'd aged ten years since Christmas Make-up couldn't hide the pallor of her skin nor the red puffy eyes. Eyes that usually sparkled were dull. She looked up when Connie walked in but didn't say anything.

"My God, Cecelia you look terrible what's wrong? You look like someone died."

Cecelia raised her eyes. "No one died, Connie but I wish that I had. I did something terrible a long time ago and it just came back to bite me on the ass. I may have destroyed my marriage and wrecked my family. I may also have made enemies of a very influential family."

Connie blinked at such a statement then said; "I'm going to make some coffee and you're going to tell me all about it. While I'm doing that, call work and tell them that you're sick."

After making the call Cecelia went back to the table and sat down waiting for Connie to finish. Connie set two cups of coffee on the table, sat down and said; "What is this all about Cece?"

Cecelia sighed. "Do you remember that cruise I took to England twenty years ago?" Connie nodded.

"The cruise had a unique theme, The Sunset of the Empire cruise. A nostalgic cruise set in 1947. All the guests were supposed to wear clothes of that era and develop a persona to fit. There was one man, a very special man. His persona was that of a publisher, a retired Marine colonel, a pilot. It turned out that he actually had been a Marine fighter pilot in the gulf war. I fell in love with him, even though he told me, right from the start that a shipboard romance was all that he was interested in. I accepted it. We only made love twice but twice was enough. I got pregnant.

I ran into him in a mall a couple of months later and found out that he'd been recalled into the Marine Corps and that he was with a woman that he actually loved. I didn't want to guilt him into marrying me just because I was pregnant or ruin his relationship so I never told him about the baby. They got married shortly after that." She paused to take a sip of coffee.

So I lied to all of you, telling you that Alex's father was a pilot who'd gone missing in action and I maintained that lie for almost twenty years. His father was a Marine fighter pilot but he's very much alive. He's General Richard Rodgers." Connie's jaw dropped.

Cecelia drained her cup. "Everything would have been alright if Fallon hadn't met a young man and fallen hard for him. We wanted to meet him and invited him over for Christmas dinner. Cecelia's voice caught on a sob. Jim Rodgers is the spitting image of his father. When I saw him I had a flashback, called him Rick and fainted. When I came to, the whole sordid truth came out. Jim Rodgers and Alex are half- brothers. Rick Rodgers is furious that I kept the knowledge of his son from him, as is Alex. Trevor and Fallon have moved out and I haven't heard from Alex in a week. Oh God, Connie what am I going to do?"

"The first thing you're going to do is take the rest of the week off. You're going to see your therapist. Because if you don't collect yourself, Charley and Sam are going to buy you out and then what? No family and no job. After that get Trevor to go to counseling with you. After all, seventeen years is closer to twenty than ten. Are you certain that he wants to throw that away? "Cece, you're a strong woman, you always have been. You need to fight for your family. Sure you told an enormous, selfish, hurtful lie but that doesn't negate all the truths in your life and your marriage. I've known both you and Trevor for a long time. Go to him, beg if you have to but get him to give you a chance. I know that you can win him back. It won't be easy but you can do it. I'm afraid that the kids are going to be harder."

Alex Reynolds was, after a week, still reeling from his mother's betrayal. Completely unable to understand her reasons. How could she possibly have denied him the right to know his father? Especially since all her stories and his fantasies fell far short of the real man. His love of his mother and belief in her had been his anchor all his life and that anchor had now been torn away. Alex was brilliant, a prodigy, graduating from high school at fourteen and college at eighteen planning to join Trevor's firm and working with him while going for his master's in architecture.

He enjoyed running and swimming but had never been into competitive sports. All in all, he'd led a rather sheltered life not having to deal with the life experiences that toughened a young man. His emotions were in turmoil veering from anger, to sorrow to loss and humiliation. It was a minor miracle that he didn't go into deep depression. Janet's love and the need to help his sister buoyed him up along with the support from Trevor. Trevor met with the three young people at _The Ranch House*_ for dinner. They took a secluded booth at the back of the restaurant. After ordering, Trevor said;

"I know that this situation is hard on all of us and I can't begin to understand what motivated Cecelia to do what she did. I just want you to know that I will stand with you in whatever you decide to do. Alex, as I told you earlier I think that you should try to get to know your father. From everything I've seen and heard he's a very good man. His anger and reaction on Christmas day was understandable and actually quite restrained. A lot of men would have yelled and cursed. Some would even get violent. He did neither. He will be in England until early February. He has promised to meet me as soon as he gets back. Do you want me to arrange for the two of you to meet?"

Alex nodded. "Yes please, Dad. I want to get to know him but I'm scared. It's not just him, there's an entire family that goes along with him. Fallon says that they're very close. I'm afraid that they might consider me an interloper. He looked at Fallon. What about you Fallon, what if I do get close with them? It could mean being around Jim."

Fallon proved, at that moment, how big a heart she had. "Alex, I'm in love with Jim. I know that you probably don't believe that I can be this quickly but I am. Nevertheless, even if he doesn't love me or ever want to, he's your brother you and he both need to have a good relationship. It's going to be difficult with him away but you need to try."

"My other biggest worry other than my father is his wife. Alex said. She's bound to resent her husband's bastard."

Fallon shook her head. "I don't think so. She didn't strike me as that petty. After all, it's not your fault, nor even your father's. They weren't together when you were conceived. Let's wait to see how she reacts."

Trevor spoke. "We can't settle any of this tonight or even make much progress until general Rodgers gets back in town. I'm renting a two bedroom apartment on a tri-monthly basis. Tomorrow we can go to the house and move your things to my apartment and stop being a burden on Janet's family."

"Jim's not a burden." Janet said.

"You might not think so but in fact, he is. So will you move in with me please Alex?"

"Okay Dad, I will but I still have another question to ask. What do I do about mom? I am so mad at her that I can't see straight and I don't want anything to do with her and that hurts because I know that deep down I still love her, she's my mother. I'm so damn conflicted."

"That's another thing that won't be settled quickly son. I still love your mother too but I am angry and I don't trust her. If we ever get back together it will require a lot of counseling and therapy. I think seeing a therapist will help you deal with your issues. I know that I won't even try with your mother until she gets therapy. The food's coming, let's not let it get cold."

The least affected of all the principals in this sad affair was Jim Rodgers. Not that he was insensitive but he was a very busy young man with little spare time to devote to emotional issues. He was mostly angry. Angry with the affect it had on his father. Nothing was more important to Rick Rodgers than his wife and children. To be denied the knowledge of his son and the chance to love him was a severe emotional blow. Jim understood that, at least from an intellectual point of view but it didn't really hit as hard as it should have. With not only his own children to love and take care of but also his pseudo nieces and nephews one more shouldn't make that much of a difference. To be fair though, Jim was still not yet nineteen years old and his viewpoint reflected that.

While he had been more than casually interested in Fallon and liked her a lot he didn't actually love her. He didn't wear his heart on his sleeve as father had at one time. His personality was more of a blend of both his parents. On top of all the problems, Jim didn't want to further limit the already limited social life of a first year midshipman. It was a good thing that he didn't have a crystal ball.

* _ **Author's Notes: 1. Any business name used in my story is wholly fictitious and not intended to represent an actual business unless one of the larger establishments that are pretty much in the**_ _public domain._ _ **2\. My apologies for the lateness of posting. I've had a bit of writers block lately.**_

 _ **Please review. Trolls will be deleted**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Seven.**

For the Rodgers family, the time in the United Kingdom passed in a whirlwind of lectures, parties and balls. Johanna and Kiera loved every minute of the social whirl. Constantly in the company of Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The three girls spent a lot of their time mall crawling although the heavy security dampened the experience somewhat. George missed Jim. Like his parents and Charlotte, George was close to the Rodgers. He and Jim were much alike, at least as much as they could be considering the difference in their respective societies. And like Jim, George was in training for the armed forces.

Martha went with Alexis and her family sightseeing and of course, shopping. Kate and Rick were busy with both lectures and personal appearances. Rick's books were still popular. Not only the _Nikki Heat_ series but his semi- autobiographical novel, _Accidental Glory._ The movie of the same name, made from the book was considered a classic of modern air warfare.

The day of the coronation finally came. Since the officials only had a month to plan it and both William and Kate were rather plain people for royalty the ceremony was simplified as much as possible. A simple motorcade through London, without the household cavalry and the rest of the pomp. At Westminster Abbey, all the attendees were in formal clothes or full dress uniforms but the velvet robes, ermine capes and coronets were done away with. William wore the full dress uniform of a field marshal and Kate an elegant crimson gown.

They went through the rituals at the altar and both were crowned and enthroned. William as king and Kate as queen- consort. From the chapel they proceeded to Buckingham Palace where William formally named all the principal officers of his reign. As that concluded, William said;

"One of the great pleasures of the monarchy is appointing deserving persons to special offices to assist the monarch in his duties. It is my distinct pleasure and honor to name Air Commodore Sir Richard Rodgers, O.B.E. as a special advisor to the king. I now cede the floor to Her Highness, the queen."

Kate Middleton took William's place. "It is my distinct pleasure and honor to name Lady Katherine Rodgers as a Lady in waiting to myself and Ladies Johanna and Kiera Rodgers as ladies in waiting to Princess Charlotte."

That the lady in waiting naming's were more honorary than practical didn't reduce the pleasure for the Rodgers ladies. Rick's position wasn't the least bit honorary. Although the crown's actions both years before and now had been so unusual as to be almost unprecedented, the government's tax offices were quite happy with them, being able to tax Rick's income within the country and collect taxes on his estate. The traditional coronation banquet had been done away with many years ago but not all the pomp and ceremony was gone. There was a coronation ball that night.

The ball was, as expected a glittering affair with dignitaries from all over the world in attendance. The queen was still a beauty as was Kate Rodgers. Kate's gown was her favorite deep purple, floor length, a fitted bodice that revealed just enough cleavage to be alluring, cut low in the back and left her shoulders and arms bare. Her hair was swept up in a French roll, her jewelry, the necklace and earrings presented to her on her wedding day. Rick wore RAF evening mess dress.

Johanna and Kiera wore dresses very similar to their mother's except that they were cut higher in the back and front. Johanna's was midnight blue and Kiera's a pale yellow. To Johanna's delighted surprise and the jealousy of several young British women, Prince George asked Johanna to be his date for the ball. One of George's cousins escorted Kiera. It was a magical evening for the two young women. Kate was both amused and annoyed, but flattered at the number of important men who asked her to dance, cutting in to her time dancing with her husband.

It was mostly due to her beauty, of course but King William started it by asking her to dance. That was not to say that Rick was left standing. Oh no. There was no shortage of women who wanted to dance with him. A couple of them dancing so closely and openly flirting while they did, started Kate's green-eyed monster growling. She loved and trusted her husband completely but that didn't stop the instincts of the alpha female from emerging. She excused herself from the rather smarmy Belgian diplomat and tapped Rick's current partner on the shoulder.

"Oh I do hope you don't mind if I cut in but I simply must dance with my husband, this is a special song to us." The words were polite but her facial expression told the woman that Kate didn't give a damn if she minded or not.

Kate moved into Rick's arms and pressed up against him. Rick grinned.

"A touch jealous there Sweetheart?"

"Damn right, Babe. If any breasts get rubbed across your chest they're going to be mine."

As soon as they got back to the apartment, after the ball, she did a hell of a lot more than just rub her breasts across his chest.

The rest of the family went home the day after the coronation ball but Rick and Kate stayed two more weeks. King William had been quite serious about seeking Rick's advice on several matters and the superintendent of Scotland Yard seized on the opportunity to ask Kate's advice on a case. The night before they left they dined with the king and queen. Over drinks, King William said; "Since you are both now retired I don't see why you can't spend more time on our side of the pond. Especially that you do have an estate to see to. A small one but it still needs your attention from time to time."

"We will do our best Bill but first we have to try and straighten out the situation with Alex and the girls are still in high school."

With more than a little snark the king said; "We do have some highly regarded schools here you know."

They had enjoyed their time in England and the pace of events had kept Rick from brooding on the situation with Alex. Now that he and Kate were home, it was time to deal with it. Rick still intended to let Alex make the first move unless he took too much time to do so. As it was, they'd only been back a day when Rick received the first call from Trevor Reynolds.

Rick was in his office engaged in some research on world war two. It was approaching a century since the start of the war and there was a renewed interest in it. Rick was thinking of writing a new series about an American pilot in the RAF's no. 71 squadron and the English lady he falls in love with. Rick, being so engrossed, Kate answered the phone.

"Rodgers residence, Kate Rodgers speaking." The voice on the phone surprised her.

"Missus Rodgers, This is Trevor Reynolds speaking. Is your husband home and if he is, may I speak with him please?"

"He is home, I will see if he wishes to speak with you but be advised that if he speaks with you, it will be on speaker phone so that I can hear it. Anything that affects him affects me and our children. There are no secrets in our family."

"Very well Missus Rodgers I'll accept that. Secrets sure as hell damaged my family."

Kate went into Rick's office. "Babe, Trevor Reynolds is on the phone, do you want to talk to him?"

Rick took the phone and Kate settled on the edge of his desk so that she could hear the conversation. "This is Richard Rodgers."

"Good afternoon General Rodgers, I am sure that you know what I'm calling about. Alex wants to meet with you but he's afraid. This whole thing has been a tremendous shock to him, as I'm sure that it has been to you as well. It certainly has to Fallon and me."

Rick spoke, quietly. "What is he afraid of?"

"He's afraid that you're angry with him, that you'll blame him for this mess, afraid that you'll want nothing to do with him or that even if you do, your wife will resent him."

"How could I possibly want nothing to do with him? Rick said. He's my son. I'm certainly not angry with him. And blame? He's completely innocent in this. The only blame to be laid in this is with Cecelia. I'm mad as hell with her."

Kate broke in. "I could never resent him Mister Reynolds. Rick and I were not even together when he was conceived and that was more my fault than Ricks. I even have a suggestion that might ease his mind. Instead of meeting on neutral ground, why don't you bring him to the loft tomorrow evening for dinner? Any neutral ground would have to be public and we do not believe that family matters should be discussed in public. And please let Alex know that the invitation comes from both Rick and I. Kate paused for a moment then said; "How is Fallon?"

Trevor sighed. "She's not doing well. She's moved out of the house into the dorms at NYU and refuses to speak to Cecelia. I have to tell you that she has fallen hard for your son and believes that Cecelia's actions have destroyed any chance with him."

"The two times I met her she struck me as a sweet intelligent girl please tell her that Rick and I hope that she will come to visit us. She paused. I know that she fell hard for Jim and despite his reactions I am sure that he feels something for her too. She had no part in her mother's actions. Jim will see that in time. Please tell her that I am available if she wants to talk. I do know how she's feeling. Jim is so much like his father. There was a time when I thought that I'd lost Rick."

Trevor said; "Thank you both. What time should we be there?"

Kate said; "How does six-thirty sound? We usually eat between six-thirty and seven. Do either of you have any dietary restrictions?"

"No we don't."

"Good, that gives me a wide range of options."

Rick talked a little longer with Trevor and straightened out a few details. He ended the call and looked at Kate.

"Well, that was a bit surprising. I didn't expect that quick a reaction from either of them."

"Just accept it as a good thing, Babe and don't let your paranoia get in the way."

Rick was trying to figure out where the day had gone. Last night's conversation seemed like just minutes ago, the meeting with Alex and Trevor was just minutes away. He was dressed in blue slacks and a darker blue blazer with an open-necked white shirt. A dressy-casual look that amused Kate in that it was almost a civilian reflection of his marine uniform. Kate wore a purple blouse with gray dress pants and of course, her Jimmy Choo four inch heels.

Kate kissed Rick and said; "Whichever way it goes Babe, it will be all right." _It would be amusing if it weren't so damn serious. Here is a man who has flown combat and commanded men, holds the highest award s for valor our country can give, is a British lord and he's nervous about meeting his son for the first time. Actually damn it, so am I. I wonder if he'll fit into our family. That's a thought. I doubt that he's ever seen a family quite like ours._ The Rodgers, Talbot, Esposito, Ryan family was not a family in the legal or even general sense of the word but they were a family nonetheless and not one member of it looked at it any other way. On one memorable occasion, a high school punk made a comment about what he'd like to do to Kiera Rodgers, in front of Kevin Esposito. Bad mistake. Three broken teeth mistake.

The doorbell rang precisely at six-thirty. Rick answered the door. Trevor and Alex Reynolds stood there, both looking very nervous. Only Rick's years of command and public appearances kept that same nervous look off his face. He smiled and said; "Mr. Reynolds, Alexander, please come in. Kate walked in from the kitchen. Obviously we all know who is who so introductions are not necessary." Rick said.

"Welcome to our home. Kate said. I do hope that after tonight we will see you here often. May we offer you something to drink before dinner?"

Trevor smiled and said; "That would be very nice it's been a rough day."

"Would you like wine, beer or something a little stronger?"

"Bourbon on the rocks would be deeply appreciated, if you have it."

"May I have a soda please? Alex said. Any kind will be fine."

Kate went to get a Coke from the refrigerator for Alex while Rick made the bourbon on the rocks for Trevor, a scotch and soda for himself and poured a glass of wine for Kate. When they were all settled Kate said; "Alex I know that your main purpose tonight is to start to know your father and later on, if you want to the rest of the family and we agree with that wholeheartedly. But before we begin that discussion, let's have a pleasant dinner."

Alex smiled, immediately at ease with his father's wife. There was something in her voice and manner that was soothing and welcoming, easing some of the fear that this meeting carried with it. They chatted for a few minutes, until a timer chimed.

"Dinner is ready, please be seated." Alex noted that both Rick and Kate set the platters and bowls on the table then Rick pulled out Kate's chair and seated her. It was done so smoothly that it was obvious that this was an everyday courtesy, not something put on for guests.

Kate had made roast beef with new potatoes, green peas and a salad, an apple cobbler for desert.

Trevor exclaimed; "Mrs. Rodgers this looks absolutely delicious and I'm sure that it will taste the same." (He was right)

"This will never work if we stay so formal with each other, Kate said. Please call me Kate."

"Thank you Kate, I hear Mr. Reynolds too often at the office. He turned to Rick.

"Rick is fine with me, Trevor." Alex looked at Rick.

"What do I call you?"

Rick smiled, trying to put Alex at ease. "That will be up to you to decide. Anything except my first name. We are not contemporaries." They didn't talk much during the meal, the food was just too good not to be given the attention that it deserved. With the meal finished, they went into the living room and settled down."

Rick said; "Alex, understand this; you have no fault in any way in this situation and neither Kate nor I hold any part of it against you, your dad or Fallon. I am still very angry with your mother. Family is the most important thing there is. Not knowing about you for so long really hurt. If I had known about you I would have been part of your life, as much as your mother would have let me. There are so many things we could and should have done together. I would not have married your mother, I made the mistake of marrying for the child once. I want you to know that if you want it, I will do everything in my power to establish and maintain a relationship with you. We've already had a family discussion and you have three half-sisters and a grandmother who can't wait to meet you and welcome you into our family. Kate and I will answer any questions you may ask. Our lives have been lived so much in the public eye that there isn't much to tell you about us. Therefore I'd like you to tell us what your life has been like."

Alex cleared his throat and said; "First of all, let me say that I should have figured this out several years ago. I could never find out anything about my "birth father." The Marine Corps didn't have any records for a Robert Richards. I just assumed that it was a false name. It's ironic that when I read about your actions in the Middle East I pictured my "birth father" like you.

I had a great life growing up. I never missed out on anything. Dad was simply dad. I trusted my mother implicitly and that's why her lie is a betrayal. If she had simply told the truth, I don't think I would have loved dad any less or wanted to leave our family. I do know that I want to get to know you and the rest of the Rodgers family but I'm a little afraid of how the rest of the family will react to me."

Trevor spoke. "Alex, you have nothing to fear. There's no reason at all that you can't belong to two families and love both of them. And as to what to call Rick, why not call him dad, as well as me. Not many people get to have two dads who aren't competing with each other."

Alex nodded. "Would that be okay with you?" He asked Rick.

Rick smiled. "Of course it would. He stood and walked over to Alex, pulled him to his feet and hugged him. You're my son. It's going to take a while to get to know each other but we'll get there."


End file.
